


Butter Cake and Pie

by Ms_Julius



Category: The Shape of Water (2017)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 12:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16429019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_Julius/pseuds/Ms_Julius
Summary: During his weekly visit in the Dixie Doug's diner, Giles comes across a strange man with a suitcase who wears round glasses, dresses sharp and peaks his interest.





	Butter Cake and Pie

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic in The Shape of Water fandom, and I had a blast writing it!  
> You can find me from Tumblr as well, and if you post stuff from this movie, I'll definitely wanna give u a follow.  
> https://ms-julius.tumblr.com/

The diner was silent after the morning rush had passed through. There were empty seats everywhere, and at the counter only few people were leaning over the polished surface. The scent of a freshly made coffee filled the air. A gasp of wind pushed its way past the closing door, and mixed up with the fine humming of the ventilation.

Giles found it all very comforting today.

It had been an awfully long night for him before the sun had come out. Endless hours spent crouched in front of an empty canvas, inspiration nowhere to be seen in the sorrowfully empty apartment he shared with his cats. Not that he needed to draw at the moment. He’d earned some money from commissions during the previous weeks, and therefore had the luxury to lay down the pen for a while. However, Giles noticed it surprisingly difficult to try and occupy his time when there was nothing for him to work towards. There were only so many household chores he was willing to indulge in multiple times a day, and the small TV he owned offered little company in the silence of his home. And with Elisa now working full-time, he couldn’t just jump across the hallway and pay her a visit whenever he pleased.

He was growing lonely. And he was painfully aware of this.

As he sat down on one of the more intact shaped chairs, Giles took a quick glance at the young man working behind the counter. He was a rather nice looking fellow; broad, strong shoulders and a posture which suggested he knew exactly how he looked, and what effects he could have on his customers. His wide grin was charming as well, although Giles couldn’t help but notice how it didn’t quite seem to reach his eyes. Giles had come to this particular diner for several times during the weeks, and every time he received a friendly, although perhaps a bit stiffly delivered greeting from the cashier. Possibly, in another place and time he might...

A silent voice spoke up from behind him, the sound so sudden Giles almost fell from his seat.

“Pardon me for intruding, but I’d advise you turn your eyes away from that man from now on.”

In his haste to turn around, Giles fixed the position of his glasses, the lenses rising closer to his eyes. Standing quite near him was a short man whose left hand was closed tightly over a handle of a black suitcase. Before Giles had a chance to get any words out, the man set his bag down, pulled himself a chair and sat beside him. He wore a pair of round spectacles, and from under his thick outdoor jacket, Giles could see a helm of a white dress shirt peeking out. It was a professional look, one of a man who was out on a mission and wouldn't usually waste time chit chatting with ‘lower’ people on a common bistro. Which made the fact that this man had just spoken to him seem all the more interesting.

“Excuse me, do I know you?” he asked, eyeing the stranger curiously. He didn’t look familiar, but then again, Giles met a great deal of people in his line of work, and it would be impossible for him to remember them all.

The man turned to him, a dry smirk playing in the corner of his mouth. “No, I do not believe so.” His voice was low and quiet, and even though the diner was mostly empty, Giles doubted nobody sitting further away from them would be able to hear what was being said. In a steady tone, the man continued, “It just happens I saw the way you were... Let us say ‘studying’ that young man over there.” He nodded towards the coffee machine where the cashier was pouring out cups of coffee for a couple of businessmen who’d strolled in. “It seemed wise to snap you out of it, before he noticed you himself.”

Giles had not realized he’d been staring, or that his actions were so obvious that a casual bystander would be able to point them out. He felt his skin wriggle, and a hefty layer of blush was surely climbing on his cheeks.

“Well see,  I was merely...” he began, then trailed off when the man gave him a direct glare. It was not unfriendly, not by any means, and yet Giles had a feeling this man would know immediately if he was lying. But he’d have to. There was no telling where the situation would lead if he was to tell the truth. The truth was not allowed for him, not in these times.

“You see, I’m an artist. It is a bad habit of mine to sometimes forget myself and zone out while watching somebody. Gaining information for my art, so to speak.” He attempted to summon up a convincing smile, but he had a feeling it came out more as a shaken grimace. “I specialize in human anatomy, for the most parts. And you just can’t get the same feel for it from books, you understand?”

The man was now fully turned to face him. He was short enough that his legs would not reach the floor from where he was seated, but despite the lack of support for his lower body, he was sitting up straight, no traces of discomfort visible on his pale face. The dark brown eyes were nailed to him, and it took all of Giles’ willpower to remain still under the piercing gaze.

“An interesting explanation, sir. If only I wouldn’t know it to be false.”

Giles swallowed. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Of course he did. He bloody well did know, but he’d be damned if he would be stupid enough to admit it out loud to a stranger. Some things should be kept secret nowadays, and his reasons for staring at the cashier certainly were one of the most important ones to hide.

“Rest assured, I have no intentions to reveal the true nature of your ‘observation’ to anybody.” The man leaned over the counter, reaching out for a newspaper someone had left on the edge of it. “Those matters should be nobody’s concern but yours only. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it.”

Surprised by the frankness of the man’s words, Giles sat back and just looked at his strange companion who was now in process of waving over the woman working as a waiter in here, and placing an order for a piece of butter cake. Self-consciously, he glanced down at his own plate where a half-eaten slice of lime pie was lying pathetically. Maybe he was looking into it too intensely, but for a moment it seemed to him that the pie was a frightfully accurate metaphor for his current situation; it was something he couldn’t bring himself to enjoy fully, just like the sensation he’d got from the young cashier ever since he began to come here. There was always something a bit off, and no matter how much he wished he could indulge in it completely, the reality was that at the end of the day, it just wasn’t for him.

Absent-mindedly, his eyes shifted to the plate next to his. A cleanly cut piece of cake was being laid on it, the corners of it crumbling when the waiter pushed the spatula beneath it. It was recently made, a thin layer of sugar coating the top and the texture looking soft and rich with flavor.

Giles could feel his mouth water. The man, who had picked up his spoon in a clear intend to take his first bite, looked back at him briefly.

“Would you care for a taste?”

The question caught him off guard. The blush on his cheeks deepened, and his tongue felt too big in his mouth all of a sudden. But since the man kept on looking at him, eyes inquiring, he eventually stuttered out an answer.

“Uuh, I... I’d like to, but I used all the money on me to buy this pie.” He gestured to the sad excuse of a pastry on the plate, giving the man a sorry smile. “It didn’t quite live up to my expectation, I’m afraid.”

“I can see that,” the man said, throwing a disapproving glare at the green jelly and the watery whipped cream. Then, without a word, he pushed the spoon he’d been holding in mid-air into the butter cake, cut it half with swift efficiency, and dropped the other half on Giles’ plate, next to the offending pie slice.

Giles gawked at the piece so long that the man had already finished most of his portion before he jumped to motion, sliding his fork into the light batter and closed his lips around a mouthful.

It was heavenly, sweet and soothing, and it practically melted on his tongue. Much better than the pie, that’s for sure. It was fulfilling, but oddly left him wanting more. In a few moments, the cake was gone, and a satisfied grin was beginning to form on Giles’ lips.

"Next time, I’ll definitely order this,” he muttered before he could stop himself.

The man beside him hummed, wiping his mouth with a serviette. He had already pushed his dish further on the table, signaling the waiter to come and swipe it out of the way. “Indeed. The flavor of a well-made butter cake is undoubtedly something one should enjoy more than once.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” An abrupt glimmer of guilt sparked up right then, painting Giles’ ears red with embarrassment when it dawned upon him. “Ah, I don’t have anything to pay you for it.” He was bright pink, his hands twisting together under the counter. “It must have been fairly expensive too. And you only got to eat half of it.”

His eyes flashed upwards when the man stood up, chucking a pile of bills on the desk. It was an impressive stack, Giles noticed idly, and he was certain the waiter would think the same when she’d come back and see how large of a tip the man had left for her in addition to the check.

“The way I see it, your company was an acceptable payment.” He leaned down to pick up the suitcase from where he had set it when he came in. As he straightened up again, Giles thought he saw a hint of mirth dancing in the brown eyes.

“Besides, when we meet again here next week, you may return the favor.” With that, the man lifted his free hand to a wave, and began to walk towards the front door.

Finally snapping out of his haze, Giles spun around in his seat, cheeks still burning but with a new reason. “Hey!” he called, causing the other man to stop on his tracks. “Can I at least get to know your name before you go?”

A small smile appeared in the corners of the man’s lips as he turned back. He bowed mildly from the waist, masking his smirk by placing a hand over it. “Doctor Robert Hoffstetler. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“They call me Giles.” He brushed a shaky palm through his hair and tried to ignore the feeling of thrill squirming in his stomach. “And uh, see you next week?”

The man allowed his smile to show at last. “You most certainly will.”

The bell over the door chimed before falling silent again, but Giles was far too distracted to hear it. His whole attention was focused to the pair of plate and spoon, left lying on the counter.

Next week.

He looked forward to it.


End file.
